The NBA is trying out two pieces of technology in preseason: a basketball with a Bluetooth sensor inside it, and wrist devices that let referees talk to the replay centre. The league says the ball data is for research only, and neither will be used in the regular season.
The NBA is experimenting with two pieces of technology in the run-up to the new season, the league announced on Monday, October 5, according to an Associated Press report published by NBA.com.
1. A Smart Basketball
Selected exhibition games will use a basketball with a Bluetooth sensor inside it.
The ball, developed by Wilson, can collect data that might in future be used to help officials make decisions in real time.
For now, the league said, the information is for research only. It will not affect any calls made during those games.
2. Wearables for Referees
Officials in selected games will also wear wrist devices that allow them to communicate with the replay centre.
They will be used in designated situations:
- replay reviews
- scoring changes
- clock malfunctions
The wearables went through what the NBA called a successful pilot programme during the summer league.
Not for the Regular Season
The league said the technology will not extend into the regular season.
Why It Matters
Sensor-equipped balls are already used in other sports to help officials with decisions that the human eye struggles to judge. The NBA’s trial is a first step towards finding out whether the same approach could work in basketball.
What Else Is Changing
The trials come as referees and teams are also adjusting to the league’s new “points of emphasis” for 2026–27, the areas of the rules that officials have been told to enforce more strictly, according to a separate report on NBA.com.
Image: A Wilson NBA basketball at the 2022 All-Star weekend (file photo; not the sensor-equipped ball). Photo by Erik Drost via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
